Bihar Battle: Tejashwi Yadav meets Congress leaders to finalise pact

Leaders of the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday held a decisive meeting in Delhi to iron out the final seat-sharing arrangement for the Bihar Assembly poll. Sources hinted that the Congress could contest around 55-58 of the 243 seats, fewer than the 60 that it initially demanded.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, accompanied by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Yadav, met Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, state president Rajesh Ram, and CLP leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan at the party’s war room. The meeting, which lasted for over two-and-a-half hours, focused on resolving overlapping claims on several constituencies and accommodating the demands of smaller allies, including Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP).

Before Tejashwi’s meeting, senior Congress leaders had already met Venugopal and Screening Committee chairman Ajay Maken to fine-tune their internal position.

According to the sources, the Mahagathbandhan is close to sealing its seat-sharing formula and the final contours of the deal could be approved after a meeting between Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. The formal seat-sharing pact is likely to be announced in Delhi.

The Congress is learnt to be seeking around 60 seats, though it might have to settle for 55-58. In the 2020 Assembly elections, the party won 19 of the 70 seats that it contested, while the RJD had fielded candidates on 144 seats and won 75. The RJD is likely to retain its dominant position in the alliance, which also includes Left parties and smaller regional outfits.

Despite early hiccups and competing demands from allies, Congress leaders expressed optimism that the deal would be concluded soon. “Rahul Gandhi will speak to Tejashwi and the deal is likely to be closed on the seats. Two three seats can be adjusted and it can be between 55 and 58 seats,” the sources told The Tribune.

The Bihar elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.